Secret Origins Vol 2 31
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Supporting Characters: * Antagonists: * ** ** ** Professor Stauffen * ** Other Characters: * * Mr. Smythe * * Locations: * * , * * * , * , * , ** McMurdie Castle * Items: * * * Gudra's spear * Vehicles: * Five flying horses * Professor Stauffen's experimental | Notes = * "The Secret Origin of the JSA" was reprinted in . * Retcon: This story is the "Post-Crisis" version of an "Earth-Two" story, which was first told in . ** In the post-Crisis version, Superman and Batman never founded the JSA team alongside the others. That's why the team-defining quote at the end of the story is now attributed to The Spectre, vice Superman. ** In the "Post-Crisis" version of 1940, Gotham City's Police Commissioner was Mr. Davis; on Earth-Two in 1940 the Police Commissioner was stuffy, almost-elderly James Gordon. ** In the "Post-Crisis" version of history, as it was on "Earth-Two," Keystone City is roughly and inconsistently analogous to Philadelphia. Jay Garrick's thought balloon in the 7th panel of page 5 alludes to this: "I covered the hundred-plus miles between the two cities in less time than it took to think about it," referring to Keystone and Gotham. ** "Post-Crisis" version of Doctor Fate to The Spectre: "And so, Spectre, we meet at last! I have been aware of you ever since I myself first came into existence, and I thank you for heeding my mystic call. You were the only one among the seven whom I could not have compelled to do so." A different telling of this first meeting, between the "Post-Zero-Hour" versions of Doctor Fate and The Spectre, is presented in Spectre Annual #1. ** In the Earth-Two story there are nine Valkyries; in the Post-Crisis version of this story there are five. Farther, Gudra is established as their leader in the retcon; all the Valkyries were unnamed in the Pre-Crisis version. ** In this Earth-Two story Al Pratt the Atom is shot in the chest with a supernatural burst of Valkyrie spear energy, and survives this treatment, with no explanation. Superman saves FDR in the last second. *** In a later issue, All-Star Squadron #7, FDR's recounting of this event includes the previously unmentioned fact that "the magic of the formidable Doctor Fate drew out most of the magical poison, so to speak, from your system ... or you WOULD have died." *** In the Post-Crisis retelling of this story, Al gets speared in the back, with the same mystic whammy that kills FDR, and unlike FDR, he survives this treatment, with no explanation whatsoever. However, there is no Superman to hold the valkyrie when she tries to kill FDR, and she is succeeded. The Spectre follows FDR's soul into the Spirit World and had to beg the Voice to resurrect him. * Major Streicher had a giant robot called der Mordmaschine, at his secret base near Glasgow, Scotland. This is the same Streicher who later found the extraterrestrial Arctic city of Leviathan, and who still later became the Red Panzer. | Trivia = * Doctor Fate went to New York City to recruit Hourman, then left town without also recruiting Hawkman and the Atom, both of whom could have been very helpful in his mission to Europe. * Gudra, the Valkyries' captain, has a spear, and in the artwork, it has the same red nimbus that Hitler's spear has. Which certainly means something even if the narrative never quite makes clear what it is. * Hitler, wielding the Spear of Destiny, was able to deflect a blast of Green Lantern's power. * Gudra, wielding her own spear, was able to swat Doctor Fate like a baseball. * Gudra could fight The Spectre to a draw, and could escape from him at will. * Hitler claims "Ach du heiliger schreck!" when Dr. Fate appears in a glow. It means, in German: "Oh, you are a holy fright!" | Recommended = | Links = * Secret Origins v.2 #31 index entry }}